Toy Story Land: What to Know Before You Go

Last week, the good folks at Disney let the world know that – at last – an opening date has been set for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the much-anticipated new land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida. Everyone has been talking about this new land and on August 29 you too can line up to be among the first to ride the rides and see the shows.

Okay, so there’s that. So, with this news, I’m naturally feeling a bit behind in writing about Toy Story Land, which was the most-talked-about new land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios both before and once it opened last June.

A Land Built Around Toy Story Mania

My 9 y.o. son, Paul, and I had the chance to explore Toy Story Land in October. This new single-theme area of the park is basically built around Toy Story Mania, the uber-popular arcade-style 4D game that has players breaking plates and shooting targets to score the most points. As an aside, the wait time is consistently 75+ minutes, so plan to FastPass+ this one.

Given this ride’s popularity, we naturally made a beeline for Toy Story Mania. It was like a siren’s call was beckoning us over to the ride. We couldn’t (wouldn’t) do anything else until we heeded the call. There are new rides in Toy Story Land, but this ride is still tops for me.

Shrink Down, Enjoy the Fun 

From the moment you walk into to Toy Story Land, you’ll feel shrunken down, transported into a world of Tinker Toys and colorful wooden blocks. Just like in the movie franchise.

Woody greets you with a tip of his cowboy hat at the entrance, ushering you and yours into this land of vibrant primary colors and everything you know and love from the Pixar movies. The Green Army Patrol performs, playing their drums to the delight of passers-by, while Mr. Potato Head serves as the Boardwalk Barker, telling jokes to whoever will listen.

Line Up for New Rides 

There are two brand-new rides in Toy Story Land. The first is Alien Swirling Saucers in the back of this new land. This ride pays homage to the adorable green aliens in the movies, enabling guests to enter their world and spin across the universe in rocket ships. The wait time was manageable. We had a FastPass+ to ride, but the walk-up line wasn’t bad.

The second new ride is Slinky Dog Dash. We didn’t ride this one largely because neither my son nor I are super-big into roller coasters. Maybe the bigger reason we didn’t ride is that the wait time was 135+ minutes. I can’t even imagine standing that long.

I can only entertain my son with the Heads Up app on my phone for so long. Worse, I feel like there’s some kind of special force field around Walt Disney World that sucks the power from my phone at twice the normal rate. That’s why I include a portable power bank on my Disney packing list. A must (because you won’t find any outlets around the parks either).

We may not have ridden Slinking Dog Dash, but I did enjoy making boomerang videos of the roller coaster coming down the big hill (and then going back up – it is a boomerang, you know). Maybe next time, like when all the crowds are visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Then There’s the Food 

The new rides are popular, of course, but then so is the food. From opening day, crowds have flocked to Woody’s Lunch Box, a creative walk-up eatery with everything you’d want to eat if you were still a kid, like fancy Pop Tarts (they call them “Box Tarts”), grilled cheese sandwiches and root beer floats. I want it ALL.

This quick service restaurant is open for all meals. In the morning, nosh on a S’mores French Toast Sandwich or Banana Split Yogurt Parfait. The afternoon menu tempts with “Totchos.” What’s this? Get ready. It’s Tater Tots (okay, “Potato Barrels”) smothered in beef and bean chili, shredded cheese, queso sauce, tomatoes, corn chips, sour cream and green onions.

Not a Big Land, But Big on Fun 

Toy Story Land is not a big land. There are only three rides, including two new ones, and just one new restaurant, but it’s a big sensory experience. It’s easily the most vibrant and colorful section of all the parks.

If you go to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, your kids will love you to make time for Toy Story Land. Since Hollywood Studios is one of the smaller parks (maybe the smallest), you’ll have plenty of time to explore this fun, new land.

Have you been to Toy Story Land? I’d love to hear about your favorite foods and attractions at this new land. If you’re planning an upcoming trip, here’s where to stay (it’s our new fave).